Grants provided as part of National Youth Baseball Equipment Collection Program

MLB Players Association

In support of the ongoing commitment from Major League Baseball, its Clubs and the players to increase opportunities for youth participation in baseball and softball, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund is awarding grants totaling $5,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and the Atlanta Parks & Recreation Department. The grants are being awarded in conjunction with the Baseball Tomorrow Fund's support of a national baseball equipment collection program, which includes the Atlanta Braves' upcoming local collection drive.

Cathy Bradley, Executive Director of the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, and a Braves player will present ceremonial checks for $3,000 and $2,000, respectively, to representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and the Atlanta Parks & Recreation Department during a pre-game ceremony at Turner Field on Tuesday, May 24. The Baseball Tomorrow Fund grants will be used to purchase new equipment for the 2006 season.

The Braves will collect new and used equipment at Turner Field on Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 prior to their games against the Philadelphia Phillies. The equipment will be donated to the Atlanta Parks & Recreation Department.

This marks the first year the Baseball Tomorrow Fund has teamed with Major League Baseball Clubs to augment their existing equipment collection programs and to help facilitate the creation of new programs. As part of the program, participating Clubs collect new and used equipment at their ballparks prior to a selected home game(s) and donate the equipment to a local youth baseball or softball organization chosen by the Club. In support of the initiative, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund awards a total of $5,000 to youth baseball or softball organizations in each participating market. Baseball Tomorrow Fund grants will be used to purchase new equipment for the 2006 season.

The Baseball Tomorrow Fund, created to promote and enhance the growth of baseball throughout the world, provides funding for programs, field improvements and equipment purchases that encourage and maintain youth participation in baseball and softball. Since its inception in 1999, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund has awarded grants totaling more than $8 million. These grants have benefited 90,000 children participating in more than 160 youth baseball and softball programs across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands and Europe. For more information visit www.baseballtomorrowfund.com.